Ares is a professional of the music industry and a lawyer from Barcelona. She is 28 years old and is the founder of an artist management company called Inspiares. Her career in the music industry is an example of how, when you have a lot of enthusiasm and are very sure of your passion, you can achieve many accomplishments, even in just one year. We decided to interview Ares because, thanks to her determination, competence, and kindness, she guides many singers helping them to build and develop their careers.
How did you start in the music industry?
I started as a lawyer but I always had an artist inside who didn't know how to find the way of expressing itself. I always had a lot of sensitivity towards art, music and cinema so there came a point where I understood that I could combine my knowledge of law with the artistic world. That's why I decided to study Music Business at IMB Barcelona and start my own agency, Inspiares.
What do you like most about your job?
What I like the most is being able to have direct contact with the artists and seeing that I am contributing to their creative project. I really like the strategy and organization of the whole environment so that singers can develop with me the aspects that are initially more difficult for them, especially fot the emerging ones who know they can do something like singing or playing an instrument but don't really know how to start.
Have you ever noticed differences for being a woman?
Rosalía has been advocating a lot for the role of women in the studio, she says that there aren't many sound engineers who are women and that there is a great lack of them in this sector. Personally, in my postgraduate studies, I have seen that the spectrum is opening up but there is still a lot of male dominance in this sector and this is something that we have to change. Women are always expected so much as artists and as professionals in the industry. Like in all jobs, there are differences in salary and opportunities. It is also true that the society is changing, for example I was able to meet many strong and brave women at the BIME conference who work in this industry.
Who are your favorite artists and the songs that impacted you the most?
I started with High School Musical, I wouldn't be the person I am now if I hadn't seen it. I became a fan of music and theater thanks to that, it marked my personality a lot. Speaking of artists who I started liking at an older age, I fell in love with Kanye West, Frank Ocean, and James Blake because I saw them as sensitive. Kanye at the beginning was looking for the avant-garde. Later on, I found Rosalía whom I admire a lot. I became a fan of her career, I studied her and I continue to study her to understand the music industry. As for songs, I would like to mention Welcome To Heartbreak by Kanye West, Are You Even Real? by James Blake, Reniego by Rosalía and also Igual que un Ángel by Kali Uchis which combines Spanish and English.
How would you describe the Spanish music industry?
I think that it is in a strange and different point comparing to other ones. Latin American music is having a lot of success and it's in Spanish. We are at a point where Spanish urban artists emulate this genre here in Spain by adding Spanish elements to stand out and these artists are very successful and attract a lot of attention from the majors. However, in Spain, we have a lot of richness in other types of music as well. So, right now we are at the peak of the wave with Latin music and all the success it has but I wonder what would happen if this changed. Urban artists, trap, and reggaeton artists are having a very sweet moment but artists who have been very recognized in Spain in the past are sometimes more loved in Latin America than in their own country.
What was your first practical experience in the industry?
My first practical experience was a year ago, almost when I started with Inspiares. In my postgraduate studies I was at the point where I had to choose an internship and an artist wrote to me on LinkedIn asking me if I could be his manager. I talked to the postgraduate director and she advised me on how to proceed so I met him and that was when I realized I wanted to start my own agency. I started with this singer in December and in January I started Inspiares.
It was a year full of experiences then...
Yes, in this year I have been a manager, booker, community manager, and an expert in 360° of everything. I really liked doing in practice everything I learned theoretically. Right now I am at the point where I can look for more professionals to join the team and add more value.
What are your future projects?
This is a question I have been asking myself these days, I continue to work on my management project together with my work in a firm. I was thinking of continuing my project and precisely giving a lot of value to the legal part, networking and all the skills I have and gradually forming my team so that it can add value to the artists who work with me and the agency itself. I would also like to hire a female singer and fall in love with new projects. This year I saw different artists and different ways of working so it's a moment when I am realizing that I want to dedicate a lot of time to them.
Do you have any suggestions or advice for girls who are now deciding what to study, what to do with their future and who want to enter the music industry?
The dreamy part should never go out so go ahead! We need girls and good professionals, the music industry is small but if you get in you'll have a great time and it's very satisfying. The most pragmatic part is that right now many specific courses are coming out, so you have to look for a good university and a good course or otherwise similar careers like marketing, communication, or journalism that can later be connected to the industry.
Can you suggest a Spanish song to our readers?
Castigo by Cristina Len, a song that is part of an album that was released on January 25th.
Follow Inspiares here and Ares here